The Birth of Sunny :: Denver Birth Photographers

Sunny's momma has generously chosen to share her birth story with all of us, and it's an exciting one to be sure!

**Note: All images are approved by my clients before being made public.**

I woke up on that morning with stronger contractions at 5:30. They definitely felt different than the warm ups I'd been having for a few weeks. I got some more sleep, but I was sure it was THE day. About an hour or so later, I got up to eat breakfast. Everything started spacing out and stopped around the time my husband and toddler got up.

I let my husband know what was going on and that I thought it was the day. After they had breakfast, they went to give me some space and I tried to get things moving. By the time they got back, I was starting to doubt that this was the day. We all went on a walk to attempt to get contractions to start back up. During our walk, with no contactions, I became convinced that this was not the day. Maybe tomorrow.

I was feeling a bit down after our walk and decided to go to prenatal yoga to try and relax. After I said I was 40+4, our yoga instructor kept saying we'd do lots of hip openers to help baby hurry along. I had 3 waves during class, but they were very mild and I could keep doing yoga throughout. After I met back up with my family, we got lunch. We had to wait a really long time, and I had another wave or two there, although they clearly weren't very close or getting closer and they were not intense at all.

After lunch, I decided to nap while our son did, in case things picked up over night, which seemed most likely at the time. I woke up at 2:30 with a contraction. I timed them and they were either 8 min apart and 45 seconds long - my estimation-- or 3 min and 45 second - my husband's estimation (we couldn't remember afterwards.)

I let my husband know and he notified our birth team. I stayed in bed listening to my hypnobabies and rotating between laying down and using the birthing ball. After our son woke up, my husband came to entertain him, while I got in the shower on my hands and knees. About this time I asked him to call our sibling doula, so he could provide me more support. I tried laying in bed and waves were starting to get more intense. They were about 5 minutes apart now, but every once in a while there would be a double wave, about a minute apart and the second would be very intense. Looking back, this felt pretty similar to what I felt during transition last time. Aaron started telling me we needed to leave. Things were not intense enough that I thought it was time, despite waves being about 3 or 4 minutes apart, so I kept stalling. I told him to pack the car while I got ready. I wanted to get dressed and ready and told him I'd rather give birth in a parking lot than get to the hospital too early. Aaron thought that was very funny, although he didn't mention it at the time. However after a few more contactions, I decided I'd really like to get in the tub at the hospital, and maybe I should stop stalling.

We got to the hospital at 6:15. We got in the room and Aaron answered all the questions. I moved to the bed so they could monitor Sunny and the doctor came in to introduce herself and check out our birth preferences. She said it all looked good, which was a huge relief (Our doctor was on vacation for the holidays and I'd never met the on call doctor).

At 7:15 my nurse came in and said they were done monitoring me for now and that I could get in the tub. And they'd do the initial check of my cervix in about an hour. I wasn't looking forward to that part much. Once I got in the tub, my contractions immediately became fairly easy. But this didn't last all that long. Everything got more intense and had multiple peaks and seemed to last a really long time. I thought it seemed like transition, although I didn't think it had been long enough or that I was that far along. Thinking I wasn't very far along, and that everything was that intense, I got a bit discouraged and told Aaron I didn't think I could do it. He held my hand the whole time and told me I could, that I was his hero and the strongest person he knows. I literally couldn't have done it without him. I started feeling a little pushy at the peak of the contraction (I'd felt similar while I was still in bed being monitored, but this was a little more intense- but since I'd felt like that before, I didn't think I was as far along as I was), so during one I gave it a little push and my water broke. I said something and they told the nurse, but she didn't come to check right away.

After my water broke I think I was pushing, or my body was, but I was trying to get a handle on things and figure out what was going on before I said anything to Aaron, as I still didn't believe I was that far along. All of a sudden, I knew what was going on as Sunny was crowning. I freaked out a little and I remember telling Aaron that he's coming. I must have jumped up, as next thing I know, I'm on the opposite side of the tub and Aaron is holding me up. At this point everything was happening so fast, and my phone and headphones had fallen out and into the tub, so I didn't get to listen to hypnobabies at all while pushing.

Our nurse ran in right in time to catch the rest of him, and the doctor never made it. He was born at 8:36, about 6 hours after things really got going.

We are so in love with our little guy and so appreciative of Michelle's skill! Everything happened so quickly after I got in the tub, and I'm so grateful Michelle captured everything to help me remember!